http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
IN THE MOVIE, "The Godfather," the godfather's consigliere, played by
Robert Duvall, goes to Hollywood. Duvall attempts to get a producer to cast
a family friend and singer in an important movie. The producer resents being
strong-armed. He insists the family friend will never get in the movie,
warning Duvall, "I don't care how many dago guinea wop greaseball goombahs
come out of the woodwork!" Duvall tells the producer that, no, his heritage
is German-Irish. Without missing a beat, the producer promptly calls Duvall
a "Kraut-Mick."

What's the point? The producer wanted to demean Duvall, thus the derisive
epithets. And when he found out that Duvall was not Italian, no problem. He
quickly changed the denunciation to make it applicable to Duvall's heritage.

This brings us to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's alleged anti-Semitic
remark. In an unauthorized biography, "State of a Union: Inside the Complex
Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton," former National Enquirer reporter
Jerry Oppenheimer accuses Hillary of referring to Bill Clinton's former
campaign manager as "a (bleeping) Jew bastard." Angry because Bill lost his
congressional race, Hillary blamed the campaign manager.

Ms. Clinton, running for the Senate in New York, denies the remark. She'd
better, because analysts call the large Jewish vote vital. Jewish Sen.
Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., dismisses the allegation, "I've known Hillary
Clinton for eight years, and she doesn't have an anti-Semitic bone in her
body."

Schumer need not worry. For, when "good guys" like Hillary say bad things,
the media applies a different standard. Yes, the remark allegedly occurred
some 25 years ago. And, yes, the Clintons have Jewish friends and many
members of the Clinton administration are Jewish. But even if that weren't
the case, Hillary benefits from a media double standard.

When Jesse Jackson referred to Jews as "Hymies" and New York as
"Hymie-town," he first denied the remark. When Washington Post reporter
Milton Coleman insisted Jackson made the remark, however, the reverend
finally owned up to the slur. But Jackson called it an "error," and said,
"Charge it to my head ... not to my heart." Now it is seldom mentioned.

New York's Rev. Al Sharpton called Jews "diamond merchants," and spoke of
"white interlopers" who, he felt, did not belong in the minority community.

Again, no problem. Indeed, presidential contenders Al Gore and Bill Bradley,
during the Harlem presidential debate, showered praise on Sharpton, noting
how much the reverend had "grown." Never mind that Sharpton falsely accused
former Dutchess County, N.Y., Assistant State Attorney General Steven
Pagones of raping Tawana Brawley. Pagones, along with his daughter, received
death threats following Sharpton's accusation. When Pagones claimed
innocence, Sharpton challenged Pagones to sue for defamation. Pagones did,
and won. Sharpton refuses to pay one dime, apparently transferring his
assets into his wife's name. As for an apology, fuggedaboudit.

Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager, referred to the Republican Party
as the party of the "white boys." No apology demanded, none offered. And in
his book, "The Dark Side of Camelot," Pulitzer Prize-winning author Seymour
Hersh says that President Kennedy referred to African countries as "boogie
republics."

During his presidential run, Arizona Sen. John McCain referred to his North
Vietnamese former captors as "gooks." McCain apparently used the word many
times over the course of several months, but only later did a reporter
divulge the remark. What took so long? Well, remember, the media loved
"maverick" John McCain, the non-Republican Republican. Similarly, the
campaign manager at whom Hillary Clinton allegedly directed the anti-Semitic
remark says he told reporters about the incident years ago. Yet no one,
until now, published it.

All right. Assuming Hillary made the remark, what do we make of it? One of
Bill Clinton's key former advisers was Dick Morris, a Jew. And Rahm Emanuel
served as Clinton's chief domestic policy adviser. Clinton works with and
has appointed several Jews to his administration.

On the infamous Watergate tapes, Richard Nixon made anti-Semitic remarks.
Yet Nixon appointed the first Jewish secretary of state, Henry Kissinger.
William Safire, a Jew, was an important Nixon speechwriter, and Leonard
Garment served as Nixon's counsel.

In a letter, President Harry Truman referred to New York as "Kike-town."

Yet Truman aggressively pushed for the establishment of the modern state of
Israel.

People in anger say intemperate, insensitive and demeaning things. This is
no justification. But fair-minded people look at one's history, background,
friends, and actions before branding the speaker a bigot.

Fair is fair, and we should apply the same standard whether the speaker is
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, or for that matter, John
Rocker.

JWR contributor Larry Elder reads all of his mail. Let him know what you think by clicking here.